Shmos
Rabbi Jablinowitz
The Medrash on Sefer Koheles teaches the following on the pasuk in Koheles (Chapter 7, Pasuk 1), Tov Sheim M’Shemen Tov, a good name is better than good oil. Tov Sheim, Chananiah V’Mishael Sheyatzu min Ha’Aish, M’Shemen Tov, M’Nadav V’Avihu She’Nisrafu V’Hayu Nimshachin B’Shemen Hamishchah. The Torah contrasts Chananiah and Mishael who survived being thrown into a fiery furnace by Nevuchadnetzar, with Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon who were killed by fire. Chananiah and Mishael were righteous people with a good name, and they fared better than Nadav and Avihu who were Kohnaim anointed with the oil of the shemen hamishchah.
The Sfas Emes teaches that the essential contrast here in the Medrash is between one who acquires a good name through his own actions, as opposed to one who inherits his position. The Medrash is praising the “good name”; the one who achieves his station in life through his hard work and persistence in contrast to the one who walks right into a position. This is the basic meaning of Tov Sheim M’Shemen Tov.
The Sfas Emes takes this concept to a deeper level. A good name is something which can spread far and wide. When we speak of a good name we are referring to one’s reputation, and the reputation of an individual goes far and beyond the actual physical limitations of the individual himself. And through his name he is able to affect and influence not only those who are around him, but even those who are beyond him by virtue of his reputation.
This is why at the point of going down to Egypt Bnei Yisrael are mentioned as Shemos Bnei Yisrael. Bnei Yisrael are going down to Egypt as Shemos, with the intention of having an effect on their environment. And they are doing so as the children of Yaakov Avinu, as the first pasuk in our parsha says, Eis Yaakov Ish U’Vaiso Ba’u.
We read in last week’s parsha, Vayechi Yaakov B’Eretz Mitzrayim Sheva Esreih Shanah, Yaakov lived in Egypt for seventeen years. The Meshech Chachmah teaches on that pasuk that every individual can have an influence on his environment; for some it’s just their very immediate environment, for example their home, while for others it can include greater borders. The Torah is teaching us that the influence of Yaakov was such that it included all of Mitzrayim, Yaakov lived in Egypt means he had a great impact all over Mitzrayim. And the Gemara Yerushalmi (Kesuvos, Chapter 12, Halacha 3) says that Rabbi Yehuda Ha’Nasi said about himself, paraphrasing our pasuk, Yehuda lived seventeen years in Tzippori. The Gemara immediately thereafter testifies that for most of this time (thirteen years during which he suffered greatly), no woman miscarried and no woman died in labor in all of Eretz Yisrael. The Meshech Chachmah explains the Gemara in a similar vein to our pasuk. Rabbi Yehuda HaNassi was modest about himself and said that he lived in Tzippori for seventeen years, meaning that his impact was very localized, only felt in the city of Tzippori. But the Gemara testifies differently, that his impact was felt throughout the land, since as a result of his righteousness and suffering no woman died in childbirth or miscarried in all of Eretz Yisrael. A proper paraphrase of our pasuk would be not that (Rabbi) Yehuda lived in Tzippori seventeen years, but rather he lived in Eretz Yisrael seventeen years.
This ability of Yaakov Avinu, to have great influence on a very large area as a result of his actions and subsequent reputation, gives new meaning to a well-known concept. The Gemara in Shabbos 118A teaches Kol HaMe’aneg es HaShabbos Nosnim Lo Nachalah B’Lo Metzarim. All who have Oneg on Shabbos receive a portion without borders. The Gemara explains that this is specifically the portion of Yaakov who was told in parshat Vayeitzei (Chapter 28, Pasuk 14), U’Faratztah Yamah V’Keidmah Tzafonah Vanegbah.
The mitzvah of Shabbos is described as Kevi’ah V’Kaymah. As opposed to the mitzvah of Yom Tov which involves the actions of Beis Din declaring Rosh Chodesh, Shabbos is fixed and happens automatically. It bears resemblance to the notion of the Kehunah being automatically passed down from father to son, from Aharon HaKohen to Nadav and Avihu.
Nonetheless, man still has a role on Shabbos. Though Shabbos happens by itself, man can choose to make it meaningful or not. One can choose to be me’aneg es HaShabbos and make it an enjoyable experience. As the pasuk says (Shmos, Chapter 31, Pasuk 16), La’asos es HaShabbos, it is up to us to make Shabbos.
The conclusion of this Gemara is that when one takes the Shabbos, something which comes to him automatically, and makes it special and eventful, he receives limitless boundaries. And this is because his Shabbos becomes his own achievement; he made it unique. And when one works hard and achieves, his accomplishments give him a name which is noticed far and wide. This is how Bnei Yisrael came down to Egypt. Just as their father Yaakov Avinu impacted the entire country of Egypt for seventeen years, so too the “names” of Bnei Yisrael came down to Mitzrayim and in order to create an impact, the results of which would lead to the creation of the Jewish nation.
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